It can take a long time for conflicting theories to resolve in neuroscience. For example, the existence of adult neurogenesis in humans is still hotly debated despite at least a decade or two of papers on both sides. Meanwhile, it has already been accepted as a fact by the news media, and has begun to appear in self help books as evidence of the ability to 're-wire the brain'.

So, enjoy your sound machine. I'm sure bad sleep is probably implicated in hearing loss, too. Or at least it will be once the right grad student reads this comment.